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coffee & calm

At least for now. It is unusually quite at our nymbani this morning. Jason got up super early for an all day fishing expedition with our neighbor and he will probably be gone for the entire day. He will really get to see some local life today! Anni is at school and Evy is sleeping peacefully in her room and so far no visitors. Only the sound of the milk boiling on the stove (and yes I am writing that so I do not forget which has happened several times and makes for a nasty mess). So for a moment I have a minute with just my coffee and me. Ah, so sweet.

I just read a passage in My Utmost for His Highest and it spoke to me so much. After dealing with some frustrations about misunderstandings, annoying power issues this week, gossip about our family, running around in circles for the adoption process, and my wanafunzi at shule being completely naughty yesterday it helped a lot put things back in perspective for me. I wanted to share it because I felt like it might speak to someone else today.
"Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is bringing "many sons to glory" (Heb 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God's grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus, not pampered, spoiled, weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make the effort to live a life of worth and excellence."

I needed that today. I can get caught in my own head, my thoughts, and needed some Grace and Butt Kicking. Oswald Chambers is always good for that.

So, in other random but important news (in no real order except that which flows from my tired brain). We had our interview with the social workers here on the island last week. We had an appointment in the morning and Jason had to go into town to pick them up and bring them here for our "home visit." The interview itself was painfully slow (even though it was in Kiswahili) as they both had to repeat, write, and rewrite everything we said. We seriously spent about 40 minutes discussing why we have the same last name and do not have the first names of our fathers (as is custom here). The social workers were very nice though and seem to genuinely want to help us and they seemed to know a lot about the system and its recent changes. They were in no rush though and enjoyed chatting and sipping chai and eating banana muffins (and yes I made those in an attempt to get on their good side as everyone knows the magical power of my banana muffins:) hey, it is all we got!). As they were explaining the references we need I was changing Evy and in the 2 minutes of her little bum being free she managed to pee all over me and the floor. Note: Never give into the power of a cute dimpled butt...cover that sucker asap!! So other than me getting peed on and some loud interuptions from shule kids playing on our swings outside I think it went pretty well. Next Tuesday we have to pick them up again for them to have a discussion with some of our local friends at our house. And then they will go around our 'hood and ask about us crazy Wazungus. After that I think there is some processing time and then a 3 month waiting period but we are moving forward and that is pretty cool.

And in other random news (hey this is my blog and I make no promises about cohesiveness) Evangeline is adorably funny and I need to record some of her quirks! I know someday I will forget some of these sweet little things my watoto do and want to have a place to look back and smile (and knowing me probably sob). When some team mates left last year they willed us this little push chair thing they bought here. The quality leaves a lot to be desired but after some jimmy-rigging it works pretty well these days and Evy LOVES to "walk" around in it. She cracks us up as she has figured it out how to get almost anywhere it will fit and chases after us and her sister. She also loves to scream. We think she figures she can't get a word in around here between me and her sister and the constant chaos so she has decided that sheer volume is her friend. It is this hilarious high pitched scream that looks painful when she does it. We managed to get videos of both such adorable Evy right now moments.
I hear Evy now but I finished my coffee AND an entire blog post in one sitting and that my friends is a miracle.
Miss Anni heading to a Bday party last week
Papa finally got around to hanging his hammock and the girls LOVE hanging with Papa time!
Evy videos for the Bibi types out there:

Sure glad that iron was off! What a cutie, I could just hug and kiss her. I liked that she covered her own ears after screaming! How funny.It is fun seeing Anni dressed in her dress and party shoes I gave her. She looks so pretty and grown-up just since she was here.I will go back to these videos often. Thanks from this lonely Bibi.